Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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"Although skills such as knowledge of human psychology, bluffing, and the ability to calculate and analyze odds make it more likely for skilled players to defeat novices, novices may yet prevail with a simple run of luck," the appeals opinion said. "No amount of skill can change a deuce into an ace."

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Most interesting part of the article was this justification for ruling poker a game of chance.

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agreed

how some judge could rule it "chance based" blows my mind...that guy should get fired asap

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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change the laws

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In Texas, we've been trying to do it for 10 years to license card clubs since there seems too much opposition to casino gambling, although there is less than before. Until the pro gaming lobby > religious/morals/anti gaming lobby, this will never happen anywhere. It also doesn't help that poker in the "view of the masses" think poker is pure chance.

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I would say that the lobbying done by our neighbors is probably a bigger issue than those... Lake Charles, Shreveport, and Oklahoma would stand to lose A LOT of money if TX got its own legal cardrooms... Winstar is all Dallas people, Lake Chuck is Screwston central... etc...

plenty of cardrooms in each city if you dont mind getting butt rammed by a ridiculous rake for low limits...

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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More of a government problem but i say [censored] the cops for going after stuff like this.


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Do you really think that the cops carrying out these "busts" have any say whatsoever on whether or not they do them? As if a cop can just decide whether or not he is personally going to go break up a poker game or take part in a raid.

The reality is that cops are pawns, they do as they're told, much like a soldier in Iraq does. All they can do is try to be decent and professional as they go about their business in a case like that. Some are, some arent, but either way they are doing what they are told to do regardless of how they feel about it.

If you want you could blame the commanding officer who authorized the raid but ultimately you will likely find out that he only ordered it as a result of political pressure which came about as a result of complaints from regular citizens like me and you. Your hometown/city/state probably has many more vocal opponents of illegal gambling/poker than outspoken supporters. Sad but true.

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

correct me if i'm wrong (i'm canadian and dont pay taxes on gambling winnings) but the same people who say all this is illegal etc, will tax you when you win....right?

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

Are you suggesting that criminals are not required to pay taxes? See Al Capone.

Also, none of this applies to poker players since it is not illegal to PLAY poker, only to run the games and profit from them by charging rake/time. You will usually find that the palyers are rarely if ever arrested during these raids, and if they are it is some BS charge. Its the managers and staff that typically get penalized.

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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I agree it's dumb...but you can't blame the cops. Blame the people who put the laws on the books.

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they don't enforce immigration laws.

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Totally agree. They should inforce them though. However, our politicians, both Reps and Dems are so worried about getting the mystical "Hispanic vote" that they won't allow the laws to be enforced. The proper funding, legal support and backing is not provided to the departments when they actually do their job of enforcing the immigration laws. That is one huge mess and I'm sure you know it as well as I do.

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change the laws

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In Texas, we've been trying to do it for 10 years to license card clubs since there seems too much opposition to casino gambling, although there is less than before. Until the pro gaming lobby > religious/morals/anti gaming lobby, this will never happen anywhere. It also doesn't help that poker in the "view of the masses" think poker is pure chance.

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I would say that the lobbying done by our neighbors is probably a bigger issue than those... Lake Charles, Shreveport, and Oklahoma would stand to lose A LOT of money if TX got its own legal cardrooms... Winstar is all Dallas people, Lake Chuck is Screwston central... etc...

plenty of cardrooms in each city if you dont mind getting butt rammed by a ridiculous rake for low limits...

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You hit the nail on the head. I'm from Texas too and blaming the conservative/religious right on us not having poker is a joke. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I fully 100% believe that someone in Texas is getting paid under the table so that we don't get casino gambling and/or poker rooms. Louisiana and Oklahoma are not exactly liberal places...if they can have casino gambling, so could Texas. Blaming it on the conservatives is a joke. Sure some of the Right likes to jump up and down and scream and shout when gambling is mentioned but those Oklahoma and Louisiana casinos are filled with conservative Republicans.lol

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

Running an illegal casino is a crime if the state says it's a crime... simple concept. What's the argument?

If you want to play poker, play poker - don't charge some stupid rake and don't have f'ckin Roulette and Blackjack tables within 100 miles of the joint.

These guys got busted for being stupid rednecks operating an illegal casino!

Other "innocent" things you shouldn't do that will get you arrested.

1. Have sex with a consenting 17 year old.
2. Make and sell your own booze.
3. Charge a "cover" to a kegger party.
4. Buy and sell untaxed cigarettes.
5. Operate a daycare facility without a license.
6. Sell food made in your own kitchen.
7. Cut hair (and charge a fee) in your own kitchen!!!
8. Etc. Etc. need I go on.

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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It also is perhaps not the wisest move to criticize the cops so as to make yourself more of interest to them when your chosen profession is illegal. Who knows, they might decide to see if he is using that internet thing to gamble and play his home a visit.

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Yeah we should never try to fix bad things because there might be consequences.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...lrights203.jpg

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I wouldn't exactly say these 2 things are in the same boat, would you?

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

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correct me if i'm wrong (i'm canadian and dont pay taxes on gambling winnings) but the same people who say all this is illegal etc, will tax you when you win....right?

[/ QUOTE ]you are correct

Re: Gracz rips police after bust
 

Horrible analogy. If he wants to agitate for a change in the law, as the Civil Rights protesters did, that is fine, but to criticize the cops because they enforce an existing law is not even close to the same thing. MLK didn't ask that the cops not enforce Jim Crow laws, he asked that those laws be changed. Further, comparing laws which make an activity illegal to laws which deny equal rights based on skin pigmentation costs the argument any credibility which it might have.